The directors of Elkhorn Farmers Market regret to announce the closure of our Saturday morning fresh air market for the remainder of the 2010 season. We have had a difficult time due to the weather delaying the crops through the end of June. Rain, high winds, low temperatures and the bees not pollinating led to nothing blooming until late.
Just as things were looking up, we were hit with a QUARANTINE due to the discovery of the Oriental Fruit Fly in the local growing area. This area includes portions of Antelope, Rio Linda, Carmichael, Fair Oaks, Citrus Heights, Foothill Farms, Arden Arcade and ALL of North Highlands. Host crops in these areas must go through a four week treatment process before selling is allowed. The three page list of host crops includes all stone fruits, citrus fruits, walnuts, apples, tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, figs, pears, grapes, date palms and prickly pear cactus, to name a few. If you have any questions, call the Department of Agriculture, Pest Exclusion Branch, at (916) 654-0312.
We want to assure area farmers who grow berries, green vegetables, root vegetables, and squash that these crops are NOT AFFECTED by the Oriental Fruit Fly nor the quarantine. We ask the community to frequent local growers to purchase these products.
Once again, though we are closing for the rest of this season, we DO plan to open in May 2011.
Thank you for your patronage. We’ll see you next year.